page_title: Reston, Virginia
section_title: Parks and recreation
hierarchical_section_title: Reston, Virginia / Recreational and cultural activities / Parks and recreation
caption_attribution_description: English: Lake Thoreau shoreline at sunset, looking south
context_page_description: Reston is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia. Founded in 1964, Reston was influenced by the Garden City movement that emphasized planned, self-contained communities that intermingled green space, residential neighborhoods, and commercial development. The intent of Reston's founder, Robert E. Simon, was to build a town that would revolutionize post–World War II concepts of land use and residential/corporate development in suburban America. In 2018, Reston was ranked as the Best Place to Live in Virginia by Money magazine for its expanses of parks, lakes, golf courses, and bridle paths as well as the numerous shopping and dining opportunities in Reston Town Center.
  The U.S. Census Bureau estimated Reston's population to be 60,070 as of December 2017.
context_section_description: Building on Robert Simon's emphasis on preserving green space and providing recreational opportunities, Reston features over 55 miles of walking and hiking paths for residents, with currently about 250 acres of woodlands and open space. Reston is noted for its tree canopy, which currently covers about half of Reston's total area. It is one of only 8 American localities to be a member of the worldwide Biophilic Cities Organization, which promotes the importance of protecting and promoting nature within urban areas.
  The centerpiece of Reston's focus on nature is the Vernon J. Walker Nature Education Center. The Nature Center's 72 acres (290,000 m²) of hardwood forest include a picnic pavilion, campfire ring, and other facilities that support its outreach programs. Its LEED gold-certified Nature House offers exhibits, an on-site naturalist, and various programs for children; it may also be rented for community or private meetings.
  Two golf courses are located in Reston. The 166-acre Reston National Golf Course in south Reston is certified by Audubon International as a Cooperative Cooperative Sanctuary on the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The Hidden Creek Country Club was purchased in 2017 by Wheelock Communities, a real estate development company.
  The Washington and Old Dominion (W&OD) trail, which runs through Reston, is a 45-mile-long (72 km) pathway built solely for pedestrian and bicycle traffic along the former W&OD train line.
  Reston contains four manmade lakes: Lake Anne, Lake Audubon, Lake Newport, and Lake Thoreau.  Also within Reston's area is the 476-acre (1.9 km²) Lake Fairfax Park, operated by Fairfax County and which features boat rentals, a large outdoor pool complex called "The Water Mine", overnight campground facilities, and picnic areas.
  The 30-acre (120,000 m2) Roer's Safari is located on the northeast edge of the community. It is dedicated to family-friendly animal interaction with bus rides and feeding stations. Animals include zebras, antelope, bison, cheetah, emu, giraffe, camels, goats, reptiles, and waterfowl.
  Reston has an assortment of pools, including a year-round indoor pool at the Reston Community Center. Ice skating is available both year-round at SkateQuest, a privately run indoor rink, as well as at an outdoor rink that is open in winter only at Reston Town Center.
caption: Lake Thoreau at sunset
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